Luo Yongcheng parried blow after blow, but Jiang Shu had long since become no weaker than him in all three arts of training, nourishing, and fighting. Now, his aura surged forth like a rising tide, relentless and unending.
In only a few breaths, the advantage had shifted. The pain in his shoulder left him unable to summon his strength.
"Crack..."
After several more heavy blows, Luo Yongcheng staggered backward several steps and dug in his foot to stop himself. To his shock, he had already been forced outside the white circle.
He looked up and saw Jiang Shu standing in his training clothes. Jiang Shu gave a slight bow, his breathing steady, his voice calm:
"Senior Brother Luo, you let me win."
Have my collections been growing at a decent pace today? Or am I imagining it? I hope it's not just the collections going up while everything else stays the same... Everyone, don't forget to keep reading!
At the sound of "Senior Brother Luo," everything had changed.
Luo Yongcheng looked up at Jiang Shu, his gaze somewhat vacant. He vaguely remembered how, during Jiang Shu's first month at the martial arts school, Jiang Shu had once asked him about the Inner City of Pingling County in a roundabout way.
He had answered every question, and the two of them had gotten along comfortably and harmoniously.
At some point, Jiang Shu's way of addressing him had changed from "Senior Brother Luo" to "Brother Luo."
How had things suddenly come to this?
"Next round."
The maid didn't care what Luo Yongcheng was thinking. She went around him, walked to the center of the square, and loudly announced the names of the apprentices who would spar next.
Jiang Shu cupped his fists and left the ring. A translucent panel appeared in his mind:
Jiang Shu—
Great Jing Dynasty Language/Writing: Minor Accomplishment (20/1000)
Horse Stance: Great Accomplishment (400/1000)
Hungry Tiger Sitting Cave Stance: Minor Accomplishment (985/1000)
Hungry Tiger Breathing Method: Minor Accomplishment (985/1000)
Tiger Form Three Styles: Minor Accomplishment (850/1000)
After the first spar, when he realized how much Elder Qiu valued the apprentices' fighting skills, Jiang Shu had decided to slow the progress of his stance and breathing practice a little and focus on raising his proficiency in the Tiger Form Three Styles.
On the field, the two apprentices moved—
Below, Elder Qiu sat in a reclining chair, his eyelids lifting now and then as he watched the apprentices spar from the corner of his eye.
Jiang Shu took it all in.
He was only three to five days away from reaching great accomplishment in all three arts of training, nourishing, and fighting. Soon, he would be able to test his theory.
"Brother Jiang, you're way too fierce!"
Little Fatty Zhou Yang was completely dumbfounded. Now he was absolutely certain: Jiang Shu had far more talent than Han Dali.
Even if Han Dali were still learning martial arts at the school and his own restaurant supplied him with three jin of meat every day, there was no way he could defeat Luo Yongcheng in just two short months.
Especially not as easily as Jiang Shu had.
How could someone with such talent for martial arts fail to become a formal disciple?
Zhou Yang's eyes were full of envy. He was young, but he saw things more clearly than many older apprentices. Everyone at the Hungry Tiger Martial Arts School might call one another senior and junior brothers, but they were only trying to make themselves look important. Once they left the school, who would recognize the training clothes they wore?
Only after catching Elder Qiu's eye and becoming a formal disciple could someone truly count as a member of the Hungry Tiger Martial Arts School.
A formal disciple.
Outside, the Hungry Tiger Martial Arts School stood behind him, along with Elder Qiu, a Bone Forging Realm expert.
Inside, he would have access to better resources for martial arts training than meat alone: Hungry Tiger Secret Medicine.
As for apprentices like them, in Elder Qiu's eyes, perhaps they were no more than tools that handed over ten taels of silver every month.
"Brother Jiang, how about registering as an attendant at our restaurant? We'll pay you the rate we give martial artists." After making up his mind, Zhou Yang ventured to ask. He was still smiling as he spoke, but his face had grown more serious.
"Don't make such a fuss. Say a little less; nobody's going to mistake you for a mute."
Jiang Shu looked at Zhou Yang and replied, "I'll pass on being an attendant. I don't have time to spend at the restaurant. But we could discuss some business. Zhou Yang, what's the best-selling dish at your restaurant?"
"Dishes? I'm not really sure. How about you do us the honor of visiting after Elder Qiu finishes giving his pointers? I'll have our head chef prepare a whole table of signature dishes."
Though Zhou Yang didn't know what Jiang Shu meant by discussing business, he figured that as long as he built a good relationship with Jiang Shu, their restaurant could do a little business through him. Even if they took a small loss, it would be worth it!
After all, once Jiang Shu became a formal disciple—
His status would rise like water on a tide. By then, even the Zhou Family wouldn't be able to get in line. There would be plenty of businesses in the Inner City eager to hire Jiang Shu as an attendant and seek his protection.
"Sure."
Jiang Shu nodded, his thoughts churning.
He had been in Pingling County for a full six months.
It wasn't that he hadn't thought about making money.
It was just that any way of making money in the Outer City led back to the gangs, while in the Inner City, it led back to the powerful households.
Without enough strength and status, he could force his way into business and make a little money to get by. But if things went wrong, he could be swallowed whole, left with nothing.
But in a few more days, he should be able to become a formal disciple.
He could start making plans to earn money, too.
Meat and medicinal herbs were resources for martial arts training, and the powerful households would certainly keep them tightly under their control.
As long as he steered clear of those two things and brought only seasonings like salt and MSG to improve the taste of the dishes at the restaurant, he surely wouldn't threaten the interests of the powerful households.
With the martial arts school backing him, earning a little money shouldn't be a problem.
His parents had supported his martial arts training for so long.
He ought to give something back to them.
The sparring on the square came to an end.
After offering a few words of advice, Elder Qiu returned to his room to rest.
After drinking the Secret Medicine Meat Broth, Jiang Shu practiced his stance and breathing, quickly digesting it. Only after an hour and a half, when a low rumble sounded in his belly, did he end his practice and stand. He looked at Zhou Yang, who had stopped to rest some time ago after complaining of exhaustion, and said, "Let's go."
"Sure thing."
Zhou Yang got up from the ground. The two turned to leave, but just then, a voice suddenly sounded behind them:
"Jiang Shu."
"What is it?"
Jiang Shu paused without turning around. He recognized Luo Yongcheng's voice at once.
As for Luo Yongcheng, Jiang Shu felt he had already done everything he could for him. Back when he'd suggested presenting the Blood Nourishing Medicinal Cuisine recipe to Elder Qiu as a gift of gratitude for his instruction, that had also meant Jiang Shu himself needed to get involved.
After all, Luo Yongcheng wasn't a formal disciple.
He was just an apprentice, and not one Elder Qiu thought highly of. What good would it do to offer up the recipe? Elder Qiu would likely only reject him.
If he wanted to present the recipe—
He would have to wait until Jiang Shu became a formal disciple, then offer it in the name of a formal disciple!
"I... I want to fight you again!"
Luo Yongcheng stared fixedly at Jiang Shu's back. He couldn't even say what he was feeling.
Was it resentment? Or jealousy?
After the sparring, he hadn't been able to focus on holding the Hungry Tiger Sitting Cave Stance or circulate the Hungry Tiger Breathing Method. He'd kept wondering why he had lost.
Jiang Shu had only used Qi and Blood Transportation.
He wasn't born with great strength; his strength was no greater than Luo Yongcheng's. If Luo Yongcheng had just—
There was no reason he should have lost!
He'd sparred more than a dozen times. He had more experience than Jiang Shu!
He must have been too impatient. That was how Jiang Shu had found an opening.
He had too little time left. He couldn't afford to lose even a single dose of Hungry Tiger Secret Medicine!
"I'll make a bet with you. If you lose, you'll give me the Hungry Tiger Secret Medicine. If you win..."
"I'm not interested."
Before Luo Yongcheng could finish, Jiang Shu turned around, his voice cold.
What could Luo Yongcheng bet against him?
The only thing he could offer was the Blood Nourishing Medicinal Cuisine recipe.
The recipe was certainly valuable, but it wasn't something Jiang Shu could afford to touch right now.
Why would he bet with him over a hot potato?
If Jiang Shu won, what would he get out of it?
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