Nine Apertures

After failing to get any answers from Chen Feng, Shen Qian and Huo Ling'er walked side by side toward the school gates.

"Shen Qian, want to rank up?" Huo Ling'er asked expectantly.

"No." Shen Qian shook his head. He was thinking of going back to call Ding Yi and see if she knew the secrets of Extraordinary Quasi-Martial Artists.

"Oh, all right. I'm taking leave in a couple of days, so there'll be even less chance to play..." Huo Ling'er lowered her head dejectedly.

"Do you know what an Extraordinary Quasi-Martial Artist is?" Shen Qian asked casually, somewhat distracted.

"Huh? How did you know I'm taking leave to break through to Extraordinary Quasi-Martial Artist?" Huo Ling'er asked in surprise.

"Hm?" Shen Qian froze. "What did you say?"

"My family sent someone over to supervise my breakthrough to Extraordinary Quasi-Martial Artist. Otherwise, I wouldn't want to take leave either." Huo Ling'er glanced at Shen Qian and asked in confusion, "By the way, how did you know?"

"I... You told me about it a couple days ago. Did you forget?"

Shen Qian said lightly, concealing the turmoil in his heart.

I knew it. How could a girl with tens of thousands in monthly spending money come from an ordinary family... But this is too perfect, isn't it? Just when I was getting sleepy, someone brought me a pillow?

Shen Qian glanced around, then dragged the bewildered Huo Ling'er into the small grove on campus.

"Sh-Shen Qian... Wh-what are you doing..."

It was pitch-black all around, with only the dim light refracted from the streetlamps spilling in. Huo Ling'er was extremely nervous.

If I really meant to do anything, shouldn't you have run away already?

Shen Qian found it rather baffling.

"We're good friends, right?"

"Yeah." Seeing Shen Qian's serious expression, Huo Ling'er relaxed and nodded. She added, "You're my best friend in Jing City."

Shen Qian vaguely knew that Huo Ling'er had only recently transferred here, but he did not dwell on it. He quickly asked, "Then can you tell me the method for breaking through to Extraordinary Quasi-Martial Artist?"

"Sure!" Huo Ling'er nodded, but then deflated. "But I don't know the body-tempering method either..."

"You don't know?" Shen Qian was puzzled. "Aren't you preparing to break through to Extraordinary Quasi-Martial Artist?"

"My elders are worried about me attempting the breakthrough by myself, so they came to Jing City to keep watch over me. When the time comes, I just have to follow their guidance, so I'm not too sure either," Huo Ling'er explained.

Even someone guides her through breaking through...

For a moment, Shen Qian could not tell whether he felt envy or jealousy. It's fine, it's fine. I have System Daddy too.

He could only comfort himself that way.

"Besides the body-tempering method, what else needs to be prepared?" Shen Qian asked after some thought.

"You also need a kind of medicine. What was it called... Ah, I remember. It's called Blood Coagulation Agent!"

Blood Coagulation Agent?

Shen Qian memorized the name, then asked, "Where do you live again?"

"I rented an apartment in the north. The address is H7 Apartment, 32 Wangjing Road... Why are you asking for my address?" Huo Ling'er asked, blinking her large eyes.

"To steal from your place."

"Tch!" Huo Ling'er rolled her eyes. "If you're not going to play games, I'm heading home first. There won't be any trams if I leave too late."

"Go on, then."

Watching Huo Ling'er walk away, Shen Qian shook his head. Why don't you believe me? I really am going to steal something...

Yes, he planned to use the system to mooch Huo Ling'er's body-tempering method for free.

Based on Shen Qian's speculation, the system probably lacked the relevant knowledge because body-tempering methods like this were rarely recorded in books, or perhaps the channels through which they were recorded were too secretive. But on the day Huo Ling'er attempted her breakthrough, he would have a chance.

Of course, if that did not work, he could ask Ding Yi. That would be Plan B.

Before that, though, he needed to prepare the medicine first.

Shen Qian was still confident about that. The system had absorbed the knowledge from so many books at the Martial Arts Bureau Medical Research Institute. Surely it could produce the formula for Blood Coagulation Agent?

On the third day, in room 303 of a hotel along Wangjing Road.

Shen Qian stood at the window, looking at the luxurious apartment building across the street. His wristband was beeping and flashing, displaying Huo Ling'er's reply.

Huo Ling'er: "Why are you so free today? You've been chatting with me all day? (Animated sticker of a child holding a question mark over their head)"

Obviously to keep track of you, so I can start mooching...

Shen Qian: "Haha, I don't know why, but I just really felt like talking to you today. (Animated Calabash Brothers sticker)"

Huo Ling'er: "O-okay... Shen Qian, I'm a little not used to you being like this."

Shen Qian: "Hm?"

Huo Ling'er: "It just feels kind of strange somewhere... (Animated shy cat sticker)"

As Shen Qian was considering how to reply, Huo Ling'er sent another message. "Ah, my second aunt is urging me. I'm going into seclusion now. Talk later!"

After saying that, Huo Ling'er went offline.

Has it started...

Shen Qian turned to the bedside, picked up a glass bottle, and his gaze grew somewhat unfocused.

The bottle contained a pale-blue medicine. It was the Blood Coagulation Agent he had the system refine while AFK. However, there was something very strange about it.

Shen Qian had originally worried that the raw ingredients would be difficult to find, or that something unexpected might happen. Yet after only two hours of AFK, when he opened his eyes again, he was already holding a bottle of Blood Coagulation Agent.

Everything had gone unbelievably smoothly.

And the fundamental reason was... he already had the main ingredient for Blood Coagulation Agent on hand!

After leaving the Martial Arts Bureau that day, Shen Qian had swiped a spirit herb that Wei Sijian had intended to use for an experiment. Shen Qian had tossed it into a cabinet and forgotten all about it.

Only today did he learn from the system's AFK Record that the spirit herb was called Red Hyacinth. More accurately, it was a poisonous herb with a certain degree of toxicity, yet it also happened to be the main ingredient in Blood Coagulation Agent.

Combined with what had happened with Huo Ling'er, the coincidence was simply too outrageous...

Shen Qian had been unable to calm down for a long time after reading the AFK Record.

Luck? Or had the system arranged it deliberately?

He had thought that he himself wanted to break through to Extraordinary Quasi-Martial Artist, but perhaps the system had already paved the way for him?

The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it became. So I can't think about it, can't think about it... System Daddy loves me most.

Considering that Huo Ling'er probably would not finish anytime soon, Shen Qian took a shower first, spread a blanket on the floor, and then waited.

That wait lasted from noon until nightfall.

After Shen Qian sent Huo Ling'er his nineteenth message, she finally replied. "Sorry, I passed out from the pain just now. I only woke up."

Shen Qian: "Did you succeed?"

Huo Ling'er: "Yeah. Nothing could go wrong with my second aunt here, but sadly, I only opened four apertures. My second aunt kept scolding me for being stupid... (Animated crying sticker)"

Shen Qian: "What do you mean, four apertures?"

Huo Ling'er: "Oh, my second aunt said that Extraordinary Quasi-Martial Artists aren't all the same. Don't people have nine apertures? Breaking through to Extraordinary Quasi-Martial Artist is actually the process of opening apertures. The more apertures you open, the stronger your foundation is, and the more powerful you'll be in the future. My second aunt opened five apertures!"

There was even such a distinction?

Shen Qian stroked his chin. Rather than immediately checking whether the system had mooched the method, he first used his wristband to search online for which nine apertures the Nine Apertures referred to.

Ugh, being uneducated really is a pain...