"Could it be related to qi and blood?"
After pondering for a while, Su Chen speculated.
Martial artists placed great importance on their qi and blood.
Generally speaking, the younger someone was, the more vigorous their qi and blood, and the better suited they were to martial arts.
That was also why many martial halls liked to recruit young students. With abundant qi and blood, practicing martial arts was much easier.
When Su Chen had first joined the Hong Family Martial Hall, Hong Ming had remarked that Su Chen was too old and had missed his peak years of qi and blood. He feared Su Chen would accomplish little in the future.
Though Hong Ming had accepted Su Chen for the sake of the money, he hadn't actually held out much hope for him.
"Ten portions of Qi Blood Powder? In other words, I need to provide the panel with medicine that enhances qi and blood ten times over? No, that's not right. Since the panel described 'Qi Blood Powder,' there's a good chance this world really has Qi Blood Powder."
Su Chen didn't believe the panel would make things up out of nowhere. He wondered how he might find some Qi Blood Powder.
"I could ask at a clinic!"
Before long, Su Chen had a plan. Of course, he should ask at a clinic about medicine. They were more professional than he was in that area.
"For now, I should test the power of Iron Cloth Skill first."
Su Chen went into the courtyard and bent down to pick up a pebble that fit neatly in his hand.
As he gradually exerted his strength, crisp cracking sounds began to come from his palm.
The muscles in his arm grew more sharply defined, taking on a rugged beauty.
After a moment, Su Chen opened his hand to reveal a pebble crushed into a bizarre shape, like modeling clay.
He set it on the ground and struck it with his palm. With a thud, the pebble instantly split apart into fragments.
That wasn't all. He picked up another pebble of about the same size, set it on the ground, and punched it.
With a sharp crack, the pebble split apart beneath his fist like a tender watermelon.
By contrast, Su Chen's palm had suffered no damage, aside from a little dust sticking to it.
"One slap from this would be enough to break through even Zhao Kuo's Black Armor."
Thinking this, Su Chen used half his strength and struck his own chest while activating Turtle Shell Skill.
Bang!
A sound like metal clashing rang through the quiet courtyard, leaving Su Chen breathing hard.
He coughed a few times and felt the spot he'd struck, then couldn't help but smile wryly. "I'd better not use myself as a test subject again."
After Iron Sand Palm and Iron Wire Fist had merged, the result was only an incomplete Iron Cloth Skill, but its power far exceeded that of either art at its individual peak.
It was already enough to shake his Great Achievement-level Turtle Shell Skill.
"I just earned some money, and in the blink of an eye, I've nearly spent it all again. I don't even have enough on hand to upgrade Turtle Shell Skill now."
After finishing the test, Su Chen returned to his room and looked at his savings, feeling rather helpless.
One moment, he'd still had more than a hundred taels of silver; the next, he was about to be a pauper again.
His plan to spend money to upgrade Turtle Shell Skill would have to wait a little longer.
Fortunately, the next upgrade to Turtle Shell Skill wouldn't cost much. It would only take ten taels, and Su Chen was sure he'd be able to scrape that together before long.
He glanced outside at the sky, which was already growing dim. The clinics would be closing soon.
"I'll ask about the medicine at a clinic tomorrow, then."
Su Chen didn't plan to eat out tonight. He was tired of it and wanted to give his stomach a break.
Ahem. The main reason was that he was out of money, so he had to be frugal.
Luckily, he kept food at home. If you did the work yourself, you'd have clothes to wear and food to eat.
After dinner, Su Chen practiced Iron Cloth Skill for a while.
After Iron Sand Palm and Iron Wire Fist had merged, Su Chen wasn't sure what his moves resembled.
Were they more like fist techniques? Yet they still carried traces of palm techniques. In the end, he decided to go by what the panel called them.
It didn't matter which they were, anyway. As far as Su Chen was concerned, as long as they were useful, that was enough.
After his practice, Su Chen spent some time reading by lamplight before going to sleep.
The next morning, Su Chen went to a clinic called Hall of World Salvation.
"Qi Blood Powder?"
The shop assistant listened to Su Chen's request and shook his head helplessly. "Our clinic doesn't carry that medicine. How about asking somewhere else?"
Afterward, Su Chen asked at several other clinics, only to be told that none of them had the medicine.
Su Chen was somewhat helpless. He couldn't help wondering, "Could the panel really have made up the name? I'll ask around some more. If nobody has it, I'll have to think of something else."
Su Chen found the largest clinic in the city and asked an assistant inside, "Excuse me, do you have any Qi Blood Powder?"
"Qi Blood Powder? No, but we do have Blood Replenishing Medicine. Would you like a few doses?" The assistant thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"Then do you know where I can find Qi Blood Powder?" Su Chen asked again, unwilling to give up.
"I'll ask the physician for you." The assistant said this, then turned and went inside the clinic.
Before long, an old man with a full head of white hair came out. After looking Su Chen up and down, he said, "We only have Blood Replenishing Medicine here. Qi Blood Powder is a secret passed down within martial halls. Why would we have it? You've come to the wrong place."
"A secret passed down within martial halls?" Su Chen's eyes lit up.
The old man nodded. "That's right."
After speaking, he saw that Su Chen had no intention of buying medicine, so he turned and went back inside.
Su Chen didn't mind. His thoughts were entirely on Qi Blood Powder. After searching for so long, he'd finally gotten a lead.
But his expression quickly turned strange. "Wouldn't that mean the Hong Family Martial Hall might have Qi Blood Powder?"
Thinking this, Su Chen turned and headed for the Hong Family Martial Hall.
He had a strong feeling his guess was right. Given the Hong Family Martial Hall's status and strength, it was only natural that they would have Qi Blood Powder.
Besides, he recalled that Li Mo seemed to have told him that the students at the martial hall had to take medicine.
He just hadn't paid attention at the time, and hadn't asked whether it was Qi Blood Powder.
After the time it took an incense stick to burn, Su Chen arrived at the martial hall.
"Senior Brother Su!"
The students training at the martial hall clearly froze when they saw Su Chen. Had the sun risen in the west today?
Senior Brother Su had actually come to the martial hall!
Su Chen nodded to the few who greeted him, entered the inner courtyard, and immediately spotted Hong Ming.
Hong Ming was still practicing his punches at an unhurried pace. Su Chen stopped and waited quietly off to the side.
After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Hong Ming let out a long breath and looked at Su Chen beside him. "Xiao Chen, what do you need?"
Su Chen explained what he wanted to ask.
"Qi Blood Powder?"
Learning that this was what Su Chen wanted to ask about, Hong Ming was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
"You brat. You never come to the martial hall, and now you've finally come running to ask me for Qi Blood Powder?"
Hearing this, Su Chen—who had just been wondering about Hong Ming's expression—was suddenly overcome with joy.
"Master, you mean the martial hall has Qi Blood Powder?"
"Of course. If you hadn't kept skipping the martial hall, I would've given you some long ago. Still, you've found out now, so it's not too late." Hong Ming glared at Su Chen, making him feel a little embarrassed.
"But..."
Just as Su Chen was about to ask Hong Ming for the medicine, Hong Ming changed the subject.
"But if you want me to give you Qi Blood Powder, we'll have to see whether your training these past few days has satisfied me!"
Su Chen straightened his expression and replied, "Then please instruct me, Master!"
Before you continue