Minor Accomplishment! Nightmare

Bitter!

Truly bitter!

But as the medicinal soup slid down his throat and entered his stomach, he could distinctly feel a surge of heat welling up.

The heat continued flowing down into his intestines, then dispersed through his abdomen and chest, finally spreading into every limb and bone.

The sensation was exactly the same as when the Righteous Yang Posture had broken through to Entry Level.

The difference was that this time, the effects clearly lasted much longer than before.

Zhang Lingshan was both shocked and delighted.

He had originally worried that Shi Lei was cheating him, but to build a good relationship and give this future Senior Brother some face, he had resigned himself to being cheated.

But now, it seemed he had wronged the man.

This medicinal soup was worth far more than its price. Those three qian of silver had been exceedingly well spent.

When he checked the Panel, he discovered that in this brief span of time, the 0.2 energy on it had suddenly become 0.3.

And beyond that, he realized his stomach no longer felt bloated. It seemed this soup had also accelerated his digestion.

Unfortunately, once his energy changed from 0.3 to 0.4, the medicine's effects seemed to vanish. The warm, pleasant feeling throughout his body was gone.

Zhang Lingshan sighed inwardly, still wanting more. He truly wanted another bowl.

He planned to ask Shi Lei when he returned whether he could find a way to get him another bowl.

Though Shi Lei had said the next bowl would only come in three days, it should not be a problem so long as he was willing to pay more.

For the rest of the time, Zhang Lingshan waited for Shi Lei while continuing to train the Righteous Yang Posture.

He did not know how long had passed before he began to feel hungry again. Then he suddenly discovered that the Panel had changed once more.

Name: Zhang Lingshan

Martial Art: Righteous Yang Posture (Entry Level+)

Energy: 0.5

Why had another 0.1 energy suddenly appeared? Was it gained after digesting lunch?

Zhang Lingshan was overjoyed.

He had not expected the food at Hong Clan Martial Hall to be so good. No wonder he had felt stuffed after eating so little at noon. There had to be something good mixed into it. He just did not know what it was. If he could get hold of that good stuff and eat it on its own, it would surely be more valuable than eating a whole pot of food.

Setting those thoughts aside, Zhang Lingshan willed it and tapped the "+" after Righteous Yang Posture Entry Level.

In the blink of an eye.

Whoosh.

All 0.5 points of energy were consumed.

A scalding torrent of heat suddenly swept through his entire body. It was as though a fire had ignited within him, releasing wave after wave of heat that made Zhang Lingshan so comfortable he nearly cried out.

His whole body felt warm and cozy, even more comfortable than soaking in a hot spring.

But before Zhang Lingshan could continue savoring the strange sensation, it slowly faded away.

He checked the Panel.

Name: Zhang Lingshan

Martial Art: Righteous Yang Posture (Minor Accomplishment)

Energy: 0

The Minor Accomplishment Righteous Yang Posture felt completely different from the Entry Level version. Every time Zhang Lingshan performed it, he felt his body grow a little warmer.

As for the red marks on his body, they had faded until they were nearly invisible, and the pain in his body had become negligible.

If I can ride the momentum and break through another realm right away, could the red marks disappear completely?

Zhang Lingshan could not help feeling expectant.

Unfortunately, Shi Lei had not returned even after the afternoon meal. It seemed the medicinal soup was no longer something he could count on.

On his way home, Zhang Lingshan could only visit a pharmacy and obtain a prescription for something called Eight Treasures Soup.

Eight Treasures Soup could replenish qi and dispel blood stasis.

In Zhang Lingshan's view, the red marks on his body were bruises from stagnant blood, so dispelling blood stasis was exactly the right treatment.

As for its qi-replenishing effects, they could strengthen his qi and blood.

If he was lucky, after drinking this medicine, the red marks on his body should vanish completely.

Filled with anticipation, Zhang Lingshan strode swiftly toward home.

When he reached Qinghe Road again, his heart could not help but skip a beat, fearing that something like yesterday would happen again.

If this were not the only road home, he truly would not have wanted to come here.

Fortunately, he had worried for nothing.

There were far more pedestrians on the road today than yesterday, and the sky was still bright. There were even street vendors along the road. People came and went, and the place was bustling with life.

Zhang Lingshan could not help but feel astonished.

He had never expected the Yamen to work so quickly.

In less than a day, the Zhao Family's grim scene had already been cleaned up. Other than the Zhao Family's front gate being nailed shut and sealed, everything seemed to have returned to normal.

Were people not afraid?

Perhaps they simply had no choice for the sake of making a living.

Just as he had no choice but to take this road to get home.

After passing through Qinghe Road and entering Changning Street, he finally returned home.

He saw his younger sister, Zhang Lingyu, doing needlework in the courtyard beneath the fading sunlight. When she saw Zhang Lingshan enter, she broke into a smile. "Brother, you're back."

"Mm. Where's Mother?"

"She's cooking."

"Mother, I bought a chicken. You and my sister should eat something good tonight."

As Zhang Lingshan spoke, he carried the chicken into the kitchen, then set up a small stove and began brewing the medicine.

His mother asked, "Where did you get the money to buy a chicken?"

"Didn't Father get hired by the Lei Family for long-term labor? He received quite a bit of money in advance."

"Even so, you cannot spend money carelessly. Your sister and I do not go out all day, so we can eat anything at all. There's no need for meat. But now that you've begun learning martial arts, you should eat something good. By the way, did everything go smoothly when you went to become a disciple at Hong Clan Martial Hall today?"

"Smoothly. Hall Master Hong Zhengdao formally accepted me as his disciple, and they provide meals too. The food at Hong Clan Martial Hall is especially filling. I ate until I was stuffed, so I won't be eating dinner."

Zhang Lingshan reported good news but not bad.

But when Zhang Mother saw him brewing medicine, she could not help asking worriedly, "Training martial arts must be exhausting. It's only your first day, and you already need medicine. Where were you injured?"

As she spoke, she began feeling around Zhang Lingshan's body, carefully checking where her child had been hurt.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. This is a tonic. Training requires replenishing qi and blood."

"That's good, that's good."

The two chatted idly.

From his mother, Zhang Lingshan learned that the families of Wang Datou and Li Xiaole still did not know that the children of both families were dead. Instead, they had come to Zhang Lingshan's home to ask about them.

Zhang Mother did not know what had happened either, so she said they had probably been hired by the Lei Family for long-term labor, just like Father Zhang.

Zhang Lingshan was secretly surprised. Could the Yamen have dealt with those corpses as members of the Zhao Family?

The Yamen was truly irresponsible.

But it was good news for him.

With the case wrapped up so sloppily, no one would investigate him. If they really traced it back to him, he would have no way to explain himself.

[Energy +0.1]

Only +0.1?

Zhang Lingshan's expression turned ugly.

This Eight Treasures Soup was no cheaper than the medicinal soup Shi Lei had served him. He had boiled the Medicinal Ingredients until the liquid had turned clear, yet its effects had been cut in half, giving only half the benefit.

A single meal at Hong Clan Martial Hall could give +0.1 energy.

From this, it was clear that Hong Clan Martial Hall must possess something good. Perhaps it was nothing to Hong Clan Martial Hall, but to him, Zhang Lingshan, it was an absolute treasure!

Or perhaps this was the secret behind how Hong Clan Martial Hall had stood tall in the Outer City for so many years, renowned far and wide?

I must master the Righteous Yang Posture as soon as possible and enter the inner ranks of Hong Clan Martial Hall. Only then can I receive more training and absorb more energy.

That night.

Zhang Lingshan continued practicing the Righteous Yang Posture in his room until he truly could not hold on any longer, then collapsed into bed and fell asleep.

The next morning, at dawn.

Whoosh!

He jolted awake from his dream, drenched in sweat. He had dreamed once more of himself, his arms covered in arms.

Hiss!

Perhaps because he had risen too abruptly and strained his muscles and bones, Zhang Lingshan sucked in a sharp breath. He touched his skin and saw that red marks had indeed appeared again.

Damn it!

Zhang Lingshan's face turned utterly grim.

What exactly had latched onto him? The red marks had nearly vanished yesterday, yet they had appeared again today.

Fortunately, after the Righteous Yang Posture reached Minor Accomplishment, his physique seemed to have improved somewhat, and his ability to endure pain had grown stronger.

Though the red marks remained, the pain had weakened greatly.

With that thought, he immediately got out of bed and assumed the Righteous Yang Posture again.

After completing an entire set of the Righteous Yang Posture, the red marks indeed began to fade once more, and the pain diminished with them.

Thank goodness.

Zhang Lingshan let out a breath of relief. After casually eating some breakfast, he hurried to Hong Clan Martial Hall again.

He wanted to find Shi Lei as soon as possible and ask for another bowl of medicinal soup.

Once his energy increased and the Righteous Yang Posture broke through again, it should bring him a pleasant surprise.