Observing the Tiger Roar Painting

"Strike a stone tablet ten times?"

Qin Shuang stared at the panel in his mind, a contemplative look in his eyes.

This system was indeed very simplified.

After simplification, all the martial arts were related to their essence. Fierce Tiger Fist required touching a tiger hide, Tablet Splitting Hand required striking a stone tablet. If it were Iron Crotch Skill... wouldn't that mean?

1: [Simplified promotion condition: 1. Hide blood a thousand times, 2. Evade the detection of a Bone Forging Realm 'Qi and Blood Wolf Smoke' expert.]

2: [Simplified promotion condition: Strike a stone tablet ten times.]

3: [Simplified promotion condition: 1. Kill one pig, 2. Eat ten bowls of pig blood.]

4: [Simplified promotion condition: 1. Step on grass one hundred thousand times, 2. Watch a dragonfly fly for five days.]

5: [Simplified breakthrough condition: 1. Observe the Tiger Roar Painting for three hours, 2. Kill one Hanging-Eyed White-Forehead Tiger.]

"The only things I can do tonight are step on grass and hide blood."

"The rest will have to wait until tomorrow."

Qin Shuang looked at the simplified promotion conditions for the five martial arts on the panel, silently thinking to himself.

"Huh? Could I tie grass to the soles of my feet while I sleep, with my feet pressed against the bed's footboard? That way, I'd be stepping on grass even in my dreams, wouldn't I?"

Qin Shuang glanced at a bag of wilted green grass by the bed. An idea struck him, and he immediately fetched some cloth strips, tied two handfuls of grass to the soles of his feet, then lay down, pulled up the covers, and pressed his grass-bound feet against the footboard.

At the same time, he held a White Porcelain Bottle in his hand, which contained some blood he had collected from Qi Yunfeng. He took a cloth and covered the mouth of the bottle holding Qi Yunfeng's blood.

[Hide blood +1!]

[Step on grass +1!]

[...]

In Qin Shuang's mind, the system's notification sounds rang out continuously.

"Not bad, I can step on grass even while lying down!"

A satisfied look appeared in Qin Shuang's eyes.

Third Floor.

Nangong Wan'er, dressed in black, sat cross-legged in her room. She glanced at a certain room in the inn's backyard, then closed her beautiful eyes and continued healing.

The next day.

At six in the morning, Qin Shuang finished washing up and stir-fried four bowls of chives and pig blood to eat.

Nangong Wan'er only ate one flatbread she had bought. She watched Qin Shuang's stir-fried chives and pig blood, blinked her lovely eyes, and said, "How about... you... just buy something random to eat for lunch?"

It was a bit burnt. Was he that fond of chives and pig blood?

If she weren't busy healing, she'd want to cook herself.

"Alright. I'll buy some at noon."

Qin Shuang nodded. He'd have to buy lunch, but he still had to eat pig blood. Last night three bowls, this morning four bowls, and at noon he'd eat three more—that would exactly fulfill the ten-bowl condition for Blood Rage Saber Art.

To grow stronger, even if it were a hundred bowls, he'd still have to eat them!

"Miss Nangong, I'll head out now. I'll lock the door and bring back lunch at noon."

Qin Shuang wolfed down the three bowls of pig blood in a few bites, set down his chopsticks, went up to the Third Floor, and said to Nangong Wan'er, who was gnawing on a flatbread.

"Mm, make sure you don't leave a trail."

Nangong Wan'er said this, then closed her eyes to heal.

Qin Shuang locked the main door and headed toward the East Gate Slaughterhouse.

East Gate Slaughterhouse.

On the chopping boards of over a dozen stalls lay already butchered pork.

The sounds of pigs squealing, meat being chopped, and haggling rose and fell in waves.

At Stall Number One, a potbellied, bearded, tall and sturdy butcher in his forties looked at Qin Shuang and asked curiously, "Little brother, you want to wield a knife and kill a pig? One tael of silver and it's a deal! Just so happens, I've got a pig here ready to slaughter!"

"Deal!"

Qin Shuang nodded, pulled a tael of silver from his pocket, and counted it out to the butcher.

The butcher took the money, stuffed it into his chest, handed the meat counter over to an apprentice beside him, and said to Qin Shuang, "Follow me."

Qin Shuang followed the butcher into a yard behind the stall. Inside was a fence about a meter high, containing a Short-Mouthed Black Pig weighing over a hundred jin. Three young men in aprons, looking like pig-slaughtering apprentices, stood off to the side.

"Master Chen, we're all ready!"

Seeing the butcher arrive, one of the apprentices, holding a pig-slaughtering knife in one hand and a large basin for catching pig blood in the other, spoke respectfully to the butcher.

"Mm, let's hold the pig down. This young brother wants to try his hand at slaughtering one today!" Butcher Chen said to his three apprentices, then took the pig-slaughtering knife and handed it to Qin Shuang. "Young brother, just be quick, ruthless, and accurate—that's all."

With that, he also gave Qin Shuang an apron.

Butcher Chen and the three apprentices pinned the black pig down. The black pig struggled desperately. Qin Shuang gripped the pig-slaughtering knife, stepped forward, aimed for the vital spot, and struck.

[Ding! Condition for slaughtering a pig met!]

At that moment, a system prompt sounded in Qin Shuang's mind.

"Thank you, Master Chen!"

"If I ever need it again, I'll come find you!"

Having fulfilled the condition, Qin Shuang set down the pig-slaughtering knife, not intending to stay. Next, he needed to go to the Golden Tiger Martial Arts School to observe the Tiger Roar Painting.

"Alright! Take care!"

Butcher Chen was very satisfied—earning silver naturally pleased him.

Golden Tiger Martial Arts School.

At the entrance, Jin Yang, lean and holding a tobacco pipe, looked at Qin Shuang's identity token and said, "Young brother, you've only come twice since signing up. You need to work hard. If you don't get the basics of Fierce Tiger Fist within three months, you'll have to pay another ten taels of silver."

Because Qin Shuang had paid the silver but didn't come to train, the school's disciples had been asking around these past two days about which rich family's child he was, hoping to befriend him.

"Thank you for the reminder, Martial Uncle. I understand."

Qin Shuang clasped his fists to Jin Yang and walked into the school.

[Ding! Condition for evading a Bone Forging Realm expert's scrutiny met!]

[Your Blood Locking Art (Blood Refining Scroll) has advanced to the Proficiency realm!]

Suddenly, two system prompts rang out in Qin Shuang's mind. A stream of information flooded in, precisely the insights and techniques for executing the Blood Locking Art at the Proficiency realm.

At that moment, Qin Shuang felt as if he had been practicing the Blood Locking Art for three years!

"Jin Yang just scrutinized me once?"

Hearing the system prompt in his mind, Qin Shuang's eyes lit up. Jin Yang's single scrutiny had let him meet a simplified condition for the Blood Locking Art, advancing it to Proficiency.

He had come this time to observe the Tiger Roar Painting—this was an unexpected gain!

At the same time, he was very satisfied with his Blood Locking Art. After circulating it at the Proficiency realm, Jin Yang couldn't see through his Qi and Blood, which fully demonstrated the art's subtlety.

Meanwhile.

[Blood Locking Art. Blood Refining Scroll (Proficiency)]

[Simplification: 1. Conceal blood ten thousand times. 2. Evade a Marrow Jade Realm expert's scrutiny. Meet requirements for Great Accomplishment.]

"Junior Brother Qin, you're finally here. Get back in line and practice your fists! Strive to get the basics down soon!"

Liu Hao, seeing Qin Shuang enter, promptly urged him.

He had a strong impression of this junior brother who had joined only a few days ago—having money at home didn't mean you could squander it like this.

"Thank you, Senior Brother. I understand."

Qin Shuang nodded and went to the back of a group of disciples training by the screen, but his gaze kept drifting to the paintings on the screen. Those several Tiger Roar Paintings were specially commissioned by the school from a painter to help disciples focus on practicing Fierce Tiger Fist—vivid and lifelike.

[Observing Tiger Roar Painting +1 minute]

A minute later, a system prompt sounded in Qin Shuang's mind.

"Oh? That's it!"

Hearing the prompt in his mind, Qin Shuang's eyes brightened. He was also eager to see what kind of fist technique Fierce Tiger Fist would become after breaking its limits.

Since this Tiger Roar Painting worked, could he find the painter who made it to create one for him, making it more convenient to observe at home?

Thinking this, Qin Shuang decided not to waste time. He planned to ask the senior brother who painted the Tiger Roar Painting, but found Liu Hao was gone. He headed toward the entrance to ask Jin Yang.

Just then, a tall, thin young man with an aquiline nose, around twenty-three or twenty-four, walked over and said, "Junior Brother Qin, why aren't you practicing your fists?"

If you can't find the book title, try searching for the author—maybe it's just been renamed!