It's all thanks to the system!

Looking at the numbers on the system interface before him, Lin Guanhuo didn't hesitate.

"System, infuse it all!"

[Consumed Draw Sword count: 240.]

[Precept Breaking Saber Art proficiency increasing.]

[Infusion complete.]

[Precept Breaking Saber Art: Basic Saber Art First Layer (87%)]

"87%!"

Lin Guanhuo looked at the changing numbers on the system and nodded in satisfaction.

It had only been a month, and that was even with his own draw sword technique being unpracticed.

Just a little more, and it would break through to the second layer!

One had to know, in this world, Martial Dao cultivation was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Within Blackwater City, there were quite a few martial arts schools, big and small, and he knew some of them.

For ordinary martial arts school apprentices, it would take at least three to five years of hard training to reach the introductory level of a basic martial art.

To reach Minor Accomplishment, it would require ten years or even decades of painstaking effort!

What's more, some people would be stuck at the bottleneck their entire lives!!

And him?

In just one month, he had not only mastered a martial art but was also about to break through to the second layer.

If this rate of progress were to get out.

It would probably make those so-called Martial Dao geniuses ashamed enough to kill themselves by banging their heads against a wall.

"Could it be... I'm truly a genius?"

He shook his head.

"No, no, it's all thanks to the system. I only made a tiny contribution..."

At the same time, Lin Guanhuo also noticed.

The back of his hand was now faintly emitting a dark luster.

That color was very faint, and if one didn't look closely, it would be impossible to see.

He tried to clench his fist, and the surface of his skin instantly tensed, emitting a sound of toughness, like stretching leather.

Although it was a very subtle change, it marked the beginning of his physical body's transformation towards a non-human state.

This seemingly unremarkable, dull skin, if truly cultivated to its peak, would become the impenetrable 'Copper Skin'.

It was also the external manifestation of the first Realm of the Martial Dao, the 'Body Tempering Realm'.

"Not bad!"

Sensing this change, Lin Guanhuo's face showed joy.

"As long as I continue to cultivate steadily like this, I don't need any family background, nor do I need to apprentice at a martial arts school."

"I can become a Martial Artist on my own!"

Another week passed.

In the early morning, in the front hall of the Miscellaneous Room Courtyard, dozens of Laborers were squeezed together eating breakfast.

The breakfast was still steamed buns and thin porridge, difficult to swallow.

But even so, each person could only get one steamed bun.

Lin Guanhuo sat in a corner, just picking up a steamed bun and preparing to break it open.

Just then.

A hand suddenly reached out and snatched the steamed bun from his grasp.

"Thanks, Brother Lin!"

A man with a pockmarked face and a somewhat stout build grinned, revealing a row of yellow teeth.

Without waiting for Lin Guanhuo's consent, he grabbed the steamed bun and stuffed it into his mouth: "The last one was too small and I wasn't full. This steamed bun is good, and it's still a little warm."

This person was called Huang Dazui.

He was usually unhygienic, and what was most annoying was that he had no sense of personal boundaries.

The book title couldn't be found, you can try searching for the author, maybe they just changed their name!

He always liked to take advantage of others, as if everyone owed him something.

Several Laborers nearby cast disgusted glances, but no one spoke.

Lin Guanhuo frowned slightly, glancing at Huang Dazui who was eating heartily, but he didn't react.

If it were before, he might have fought desperately for this mouthful of life-saving food.

But now, he secretly had an extra meal of Braised Beef every night, and he had white flour steamed buns bought as rations.

He really couldn't swallow these stale, sour-smelling wo tou anymore.

"Eat slowly, don't choke."

Lin Guanhuo said lightly, took a sip of the thin porridge, his expression calm.

Seeing how easygoing Lin Guanhuo was, Huang Dazui became even more smug: "Brother Lin is so generous! Unlike some people, who are stingy and eat a wo tou like it's their life."

As he spoke, he deliberately glanced sideways at Xu Dadao and Li Hu next to him.

Clearly, he had wanted to mooch a meal before and was refused by Xu Dadao.

Xu Dadao naturally heard the sarcasm in his words and clenched his fists in anger. Just as he was about to stand up, he was held down by Li Hu next to him.

"Forget it, forget it, Old Xu."

Li Hu lowered his voice and whispered in Xu Dadao's ear, "This kid has a Cousin who is an Apprentice at a martial arts school in the city. I heard he's already a formal martial artist who has entered a rank... Let's avoid trouble."

"Entered a rank?"

Hearing this, Xu Dadao's expression changed, and the anger in his eyes instantly turned into apprehension.

In this world.

Once one entered a rank, even if it was just the lowest First Rank Body Tempering Realm, they were true Martial Artist Lords, with a world of difference between them and these peasants.

"I heard Foreman Zhao is even trying to curry favor with his Cousin," Li Hu sighed helplessly. "It's estimated that in no time, Huang Dazui will be able to use this connection to get into the Yamen as a formal constable with a stable position. By then, we'll have to live by his whims."

After hearing this, Xu Dadao could only angrily bite into the wo tou in his hand.

Lin Guanhuo listened quietly from the side.

It seemed the waters in Blackwater County were deeper than he had imagined.

Even a small odd-job worker's room had complex relationships.

But he didn't care. As long as Huang Dazui didn't ride on his head and defecate, he just wanted to quietly accumulate enough Draw Sword counts and break through as soon as possible.

Those who pretend to be strong without the ability usually die the most miserably. He was clear about this point.

After the meal, the tasks were assigned.

Today was an easy job.

Collecting corpses on the streets of Blackwater City.

Lin Guanhuo, Xu Dadao, and Li Hu, in a group of three, pushed the familiar corpse cart out of the yamen.

Collecting corpses was a simple job, just clearing the starvation corpses by the roadside.

Although this job wasn't tiring, not requiring them to move bricks and carry wood like repairing city walls, it was extremely unlucky.

No one knew if those dead bodies were infected with any plague or any unclean things.

Half an hour later, Lin Guanhuo and the others, covering their mouths and noses with cloth, drove the carriage to the streets of Blackwater City.

As the main city of Blackwater County, this was the most prosperous place within hundreds of miles.

There were over a dozen martial arts schools of various sizes teaching students, and local prominent clans monopolized various resources.

There were also various weapon shops and herb shops, making it very lively.

On the streets, young masters and ladies from martial arts schools and prominent clans could be seen chatting and laughing, with groups of servants following behind them.

However, just in the shadows of these tall buildings.

There was another hellish scene.

Groups of refugees huddled at the foot of the walls, each one skinny as a rake, their eyes hollow and numb, like walking corpses.

Most of these people had fled from outside, while some were locals who couldn't survive in this chaotic world and could only beg on the streets.

Some lay there motionless, a thin layer of snow already covering them, clearly having frozen to death last night.

"This world..."

Xu Dadao sighed.

He bent down and lifted a stiff corpse: "While the wine and meat rot in the mansions of the rich, the frozen bones of the poor lie by the roadside."