Where did that nice smell come from?
Qin Shi wanted to scratch his head. He hadn't even had time to shower before leaving home today, so he hadn't washed off the sweaty stink from enduring the pain of Burning Sinews last night.
"Little Qin sure cares about his appearance. Did you put on cologne? Got yourself a girlfriend lately?"
Brother Zhang spoke with a sour note in his voice and deliberately sniffed the air.
He was standing right there, a grown man, yet Teacher Lin hadn't even spared him a second glance.
"I use an all-in-one body wash. I can't afford cologne. Oh, right, Brother Zhang, you covered my shift yesterday. I'll treat you to a meal in a bit."
Qin Shi hurriedly changed the subject, lest he become the target of the male coworkers at the Youth Palace.
It was just a temporary, part-time job without a permanent position, a simple way to earn some food money. There was no need to turn it into a palace-intrigue battle for favor.
He knew all too well that once men got worked up, their antics could be just as bad as women's.
"Teacher Lin, would you like to join us?"
Qin Shi asked as an afterthought, figuring he might as well help Brother Zhang get a chance with her and repay him for covering yesterday's shift!
Lin Yunqing adjusted her glasses and gently shook her head.
"No, thanks. I just came over to meet Little Qin Assistant Teacher. This afternoon, we'll put together a class schedule so we can prepare to start the courses."
"Got it, Teacher Lin."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Qin Shi watched Lin Yunqing leave.
His eyes flickered. Teacher Lin was tall, but her waist was slender. As she walked, she moved like a willow branch swaying in the breeze. She seemed to wobble, but her steps were steady.
"To land a teaching job at the Youth Palace and get a proper position, her Life Force level must be pretty high."
After going through Burning Sinews, Qin Shi's five senses seemed sharper than before. He could vaguely detect fluctuations in other people's auras.
An ordinary person's breathing wasn't very steady and could easily be disrupted. But those who had undergone Life Force Development were different.
Intense training greatly improved every aspect of their physical fitness. If they'd trained in New Martial Arts or Old Martial Arts, the transformation from within would be even more obvious.
"Pretty, right? Teacher Lin's waist, those legs—they're lethal..."
Brother Zhang grinned lecherously beside him.
They really could be lethal—but literally!
Qin Shi had no interest in joining in on that kind of unhealthy conversation, so he quickly made his escape to the restroom.
As for Brother Zhang wanting to switch positions with him to hit on the beautiful teacher—
That wasn't up to him.
"Teacher Lin's so young. She probably came to the Youth Palace to teach martial arts as a way to gain grassroots experience and beef up her résumé.
"Brother Zhang probably doesn't stand a chance. How could a peacock ever go for a chicken?"
Qin Shi mused to himself, deciding to keep up his harmless good-student act.
It was all for the free Nutritional Meal in the cafeteria and the not-too-hectic workload, just once a week.
He'd better do a good job as assistant teacher!
"In a Metropolitan Area dominated by the New Martial Arts Faction, an Old Martial Arts Faction prospect has turned up—and at the Youth Palace, no less?"
Lin Yunqing returned to the second-floor office building. Her pale fingers deftly twirled a pen, making it whirl with a whoosh.
She was certain that the faint fragrance on Little Qin Assistant Teacher came from the secret medicine used to cleanse the body and transform an ordinary physique. It was the "scent" of such a transformation.
Aside from those lunatics in the Old Martial Arts Faction, no one would use such a brutal and savage method.
"Which Gate is he trying to break through?"
Lin Yunqing's eyes flickered with curiosity.
"The hardest, the Spirit Gate? The fiercest, the Strength Gate? Or the most time-consuming, the Qi Gate?
"At his age, the most likely ones are still the Bone Gate and the Sinew Gate.
"The former is painful, the latter agonizing. One is called 'Clothes Hanger,' the other 'Body Burning.' Neither is easy to get through."
The long-haired teacher narrowed her eyes. Suddenly, the "internship" arranged by the Martial Arts Association didn't seem so boring after all.
"An Old Martial Arts Faction kid? What a rare find. He might even be a gifted prospect from some martial arts school.
"If I use the New Martial Arts Faction's far more advanced and extensive curriculum to crush the confidence of an especially promising Old Martial Arts Faction kid, make him abandon the dark and embrace the light, that could be fun, couldn't it?"
Lin Yunqing, whose appearance was dignified and lovely, curled her red lips. A sudden rush of excitement stirred within her.
Now things were going to get interesting!
At sunset, Qin Shi left the cafeteria feeling thoroughly satisfied. Thanks to his own ability, he'd polished off five people's worth of Nutritional Meals, leaving the lunch lady's hands shaking with shock.
He'd won his first battle for fame at his new job!
"Little Qin, so after all that, you're treating us to cafeteria food?"
Brother Zhang picked his teeth, sounding displeased.
"That's pretty slippery of you."
Qin Shi laughed it off.
"I haven't gotten paid yet, so I'm strapped for cash. Next time, for sure. Speaking of which, I think the person at the Youth Palace who's best suited to Teacher Lin is you, Brother Zhang. You're young, handsome, and a college graduate."
Brother Zhang brightened at that and stroked his glossy side-parted hair.
"Now that's what I like to hear! Too bad Old Zheng's so old-fashioned. I brought up switching shifts, but he flat-out refused. Little Qin, you've got to help me out. Be my wingman more often!"
Qin Shi gave a noncommittal response.
"I've never really dated anyone, so I don't know anything about that. Besides, with your charm, Brother Zhang, there's no need for me to gild the lily."
They chatted a bit longer, then went their separate ways.
Watching Brother Zhang drive away in his secondhand Shanta sedan, then glancing at the Vast Sea Conqueror that Teacher Lin used to get around, Qin Shi's mouth twitched.
"In my previous life, this would've been like a secondhand Alto owner chasing after a rich Porsche heiress. The gap's just too big."
Beep!
The Vast Sea Conqueror, an off-road vehicle that looked like a black beast, pulled up by the roadside.
The window rolled down, revealing Lin Yunqing's delicate face.
"Little Qin Assistant Teacher, where do you live? If it's on my way, I can give you a lift."
Teacher Lin was quite friendly.
Qin Shi answered frankly.
"No need. I live around Old Factory Street, too far from the Metropolitan Area."
Lin Yunqing looked surprised.
"Old Factory Street... Little Qin Assistant Teacher, you work hard. Teacher Zheng told me you're a student at New No. 1 Middle School."
Qin Shi smiled bashfully, effectively confirming it.
The Tai'an Metropolitan Area and Old Factory Street in the old city were like a big city and a rural town.
To put down roots in the former, people had to work hard and be diligent. They also had to find a way to meet all sorts of requirements and earn the right to settle there.
This had been the original policy of Eastern Xia's development of the New Star. It divided residential areas according to each person's so-called "civic contribution," with different welfare benefits for each area.
Students from Old Factory Street who attended public schools in the Metropolitan Area had to pay extra "school-choice fees" or "auditing fees."
If Qin Shi hadn't gotten into Hongzhi Class, he would have had no choice but to pay.
Other benefits, such as public medical care and various subsidies, were also tied to one's civic status.
The only things available to the children of workers on Old Factory Street were the most basic compulsory education and employment training.
"I'm quite interested in the history of Dangyang's eastern suburbs. If you're free sometime, could I ask Little Qin Assistant Teacher to show me around?"
Lin Yunqing spoke warmly, like a caring older sister.
"Sure, no problem. I'll give Teacher Lin a twenty percent discount."
Qin Shi agreed readily, then added:
"Your ride's here. See you next week, Teacher Lin."
With that, he turned and hurried off without looking back, breaking into a sprint.
He was determined to squeeze onto a bus during rush hour and claim the coveted window seat in the back.
"Twenty percent off? That kid actually plans to charge me!"
It took Lin Yunqing a moment to understand. Her gentle, approachable demeanor vanished as she clenched her little fists.
"Just wait until I get the chance. I'll make sure you learn just how powerful the New Martial Arts Faction's Military Boxing is!"
At 8:20, Qin Shi returned to the shack. After staying busy for most of the day, he could finally rest for a while.
The rice and meat dishes that his youngest sister, Qin Lan, had left for him were still on the stove. He only needed to heat them up.
He'd just eaten his fill at the Youth Palace cafeteria and replenished his energy, so he wasn't hungry.
He stepped into the cramped bedroom and sat on the bed. A translucent black frame suddenly appeared.
[Anchor: Qin Shi] [Growth Stage: Embryo] [Progress: 0.009%] [Monuments: Deep Sleep (Intermediate), Muscle Memory (Basic), Overgrowth (Basic)] [Skills: Combat Rewind]
"I ate so much today, but I didn't receive a single reminder to eat. Looks like satisfying Overgrowth's need to 'eat' or 'forage' isn't easy."
Qin Shi felt a little disappointed, then turned his attention to the other achievement.
[Basic Achievement - Muscle Memory (98%)]
"Old Liang's Golden Elixir Burning Sinews made me push myself to exhaustion over and over. It almost filled the progress bar in one go."
He glanced at the sky outside the window. It wasn't even nine yet, so he didn't need to hurry off to the Midnight Palace.
He might as well keep practicing Grasping Qi Sensation and maintain his training intensity.
"Use my breathing to stir that energy, guide the heat through my limbs..."
Having completed his first breakthrough with Burning Sinews, Qin Shi no longer needed to activate his body with Standing Post.
He sat cross-legged, his chest and abdomen heaving. This breathing technique could make the lungs feel as though they might burst. Before, he never would have dared try it; one small mistake could damage his internal organs.
But things were different now.
His ordinary body, strengthened in every way, could handle it.
The warm energy coursing through him was like a slender snake weaving through dense grass, moistening his flesh and joints and gradually drawing him into a trance.
"It's slowly condensing, gathering together, as if it's about to take shape..."
As his Qi Sensation grew clearer and more distinct, Qin Shi realized that his body's reserves of heat and nutrients were being consumed at an alarming rate.
He was hungry again.
"Nutritional Paste really keeps you full. Ordinary synthetic food isn't enough to sustain training."
Qin Shi sighed. Seeing that it was nearly nine, he planned to stop practicing Grasping Qi Sensation.
But his retina suddenly flickered, and a stream of information flashed by.
[Basic Achievement - Muscle Memory (100%)] [Skill Unlocked: Internal Vision]
Right after that, his field of vision changed. Though his eyes were closed, he could "see" a glowing human figure, its surface covered in patches of red and white.
"Is this... my body? Do the red and white areas represent how intensely each part of my body has been trained?"
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