"Fierce Tiger Fist was created by imitating the might of a fierce tiger hunting, pouncing, and tearing at its prey. Its moves are powerful and domineering, its momentum fierce, and it has five forms..."
"While practicing Fierce Tiger Fist, you can also temper your body and build up your qi and blood..."
Liu Hao named each move as he demonstrated Fierce Tiger Fist, correcting Qin Shuang's posture as they went.
Fierce Tiger Fist had five forms: Tiger Emerging from the Mountain, Fierce Tiger Pouncing, Tiger Tail Sweeping, Fierce Tiger Rending, and Tiger Descending the Mountain. The forms also trained the fists to engage the sinews and bones throughout the body, tempering one's qi and blood.
The stronger one's qi and blood, the more powerful Fierce Tiger Fist became.
"Hm? The system panel's appeared?"
Under Liu Hao's guidance, Qin Shuang practiced Fierce Tiger Fist twice. Then he heard a notification ring in his mind. He immediately stopped, turned to Liu Hao, and said, "Senior Brother, I need to use the latrine."
There were too many people around. It wouldn't be convenient to look at the system panel here; he needed somewhere private.
"Over there, by the wall. Go ahead."
Liu Hao pointed toward a corner in the distance, and Qin Shuang hurried toward the latrine.
[Great Dao Simplification System] [Host: Qin Shuang] [Function: The Great Dao is simplicity itself. Any martial art or cultivation method can be simplified for rapid mastery!] [Martial Arts: Fierce Tiger Fist] [Fierce Tiger Fist: (Not yet initiated, twenty practices a day; can be initiated in one month)] [Promotion condition after simplification: Stroke tiger hide ten times]
In a corner beside the latrine, Qin Shuang studied the panel, his eyes thoughtful. I can get started just by stroking tiger hide ten times?
He remembered there was a market near East Gate Long Street. The hunters from the mountains brought their catches there every few days. He wondered if anyone sold tiger hide.
"Senior Brother, my stomach's bothering me. Could I come back tomorrow?"
Qin Shuang didn't waste any time. He needed to get some tiger hide to simplify Fierce Tiger Fist, so he went straight to Liu Hao and asked.
"All right."
Liu Hao gave Qin Shuang a helpless look and reminded him, "If you haven't started learning Fierce Tiger Fist after three months, you'll have to pay another ten taels of silver to keep learning. Come back to the Martial Arts School and practice as soon as you feel better."
"Yes, Senior Brother!"
Qin Shuang cupped his fists toward Liu Hao, then turned to leave.
"Senior Brother, why is that junior brother leaving?"
Just then, a young woman in a red martial outfit came over, brimming with youthful energy. She asked curiously,
"New disciple Qin just practiced twice. Now he says he needs to use the latrine, or that he feels unwell and has to go home. He has no perseverance at all!"
Liu Hao watched Qin Shuang's retreating figure and shook his head with a sigh. To get anywhere in martial arts, one had to persevere. He couldn't even last through two rounds—wasn't he just throwing away ten taels of silver?
Jin Qiao'er gazed in the direction Qin Shuang had gone and sighed. "He probably comes from a well-off family and has never had to suffer. Someone like him won't get anywhere. He's wasting his money; he might as well not have come!"
"Yeah!"
Liu Hao nodded.
Baishi City, East Gate Long Street.
"Candied hawthorns! Delicious candied hawthorns!"
"Roe deer! Just caught!"
"Freshly cooked steamed buns, hot off the stove!"
"..."
Three li from Golden Tiger Martial Arts School, pedestrians and vendors came and went through the East Gate market, their cries ringing one after another.
When Qin Shuang arrived at the market, he spotted a hunter selling roe deer at the roadside. An idea struck him, and he walked over to ask, "Big Brother, do you know where I can buy tiger hide?"
"Tiger hide?"
The hunter looked to be around forty. He wore coarse hemp clothes and had a burly build. Hearing Qin Shuang's question, he replied with some regret, "A month ago, our hunting party did take down a White-Browed Tiger with Fiery Eyes, but its hide wasn't intact. I got a piece, but I used it to make my son a vest... If you want some, I could ask around for you tomorrow and see if anyone else has used theirs?"
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Qin Shuang's eyes fell on the bundle beside the hunter. He noticed that a palm-sized patch of black-and-yellow tiger hide had been sewn onto its handle. He immediately asked, "Big Brother, is that sewn on tiger hide?"
"It's a scrap of tiger hide. My wife sewed it onto there."
The hunter nodded.
"Could I take a look?"
An idea struck Qin Shuang, and he asked.
The system had only said to touch tiger hide; it hadn't said how big the piece had to be. It couldn't hurt to try.
"Sure."
The hunter was taken aback, then handed the bundle to Qin Shuang.
There was nothing valuable inside, just a few griddle cakes his wife had made.
[Stroked tiger hide +1 time!] [Stroked tiger hide +1 time!] [Stroked tiger hide +1 time!]
Qin Shuang took the bundle and held it by the handle with the tiger hide sewn onto it, examining it. Suddenly, a string of system notifications rang in his mind.
"It really works?"
Qin Shuang was delighted. The system counted even a piece of tiger hide this small as a successful touch. That was great!
"Big Brother, would you sell me that piece of tiger hide?"
Holding the bundle, Qin Shuang turned to the hunter and asked.
"Well..."
The hunter scratched his head. He hadn't expected the boy to want such a tiny piece of tiger hide. It was already sewn onto the bundle, and if he cut it off, there wouldn't be enough left to make a pair of gloves!
[Requirement met: Stroked tiger bone ten times!] [Fierce Tiger Fist: (Initiated, fifty practices a day; can be mastered in one year)] [Promotion condition after simplification: Stroke tiger hide one hundred times]
As Qin Shuang watched the hunter hesitate, another system notification rang in his mind. He immediately said, "How about this, Big Brother? I'll give you two hundred copper coins. You can pull off that piece of tiger hide and sell it to me."
"Deal!"
Hearing Qin Shuang's offer, the hunter nodded and immediately tore the hide off the bundle's handle, handing it to him. The scrap was just decoration, and removing it wouldn't affect the bundle. Why not take two hundred copper coins for it?
"Sold!"
Qin Shuang took two hundred copper coins from his pocket and counted them out to the hunter. He accepted the palm-sized piece of tiger hide, feeling very satisfied.
"Brother, I set up my stall here every few days. Come find me if you need anything!"
The hunter tucked the coins into his pocket, pleased.
Two hundred copper coins could buy his two children some rattle drums and candied hawthorns.
"All right!"
Qin Shuang nodded and turned to leave.
Fusheng Restaurant, back courtyard.
Qin Shuang sat in an empty room, studying the panel in his mind as he repeatedly stroked the palm-sized piece of tiger hide in his hand.
[Ding! You have met the requirement of stroking tiger hide one hundred times! Fierce Tiger Fist has advanced to the proficient realm!]
Suddenly, a system notification rang in his mind.
A stream of information flooded Qin Shuang's thoughts. It was none other than the techniques for performing the moves of Fierce Tiger Fist at the proficient level!
At that moment,
he felt as though he had spent a whole year practicing Fierce Tiger Fist!
At the same time,
Qin Shuang felt his qi and blood surge. A mighty wave of warmth swept through his limbs and bones, nourishing every bone in his body. A crackling burst of noise rang out as his bones gradually grew sturdier, and a powerful sense of strength filled him from head to toe!
"My strength has doubled!"
"I don't look like a frail scholar anymore!"
Qin Shuang held out both hands, excitement gleaming in his eyes.
He felt strength coursing through his whole body, as though he could punch straight through a wall!
Qin Shuang glanced around and spotted a wooden door in the back courtyard. He walked over and threw a punch.
"Bang!"
With a thunderous crash, the door, more than an inch thick, shattered under his fist!
"Not bad!"
Qin Shuang rolled up his sleeves and looked at the bulging biceps on his arms, deeply satisfied. Before, his arms had been as smooth as a flat plain. Now his muscles were knotted and raised, making him all the more eager to see what Fierce Tiger Fist would be like at the greater mastery level.
Qin Shuang opened the system panel.
[Great Dao Simplification System] [Host: Qin Shuang] [Realm: Blood Condensation 6%] [Function: The Great Dao is simplicity itself. Any martial art or cultivation method can be simplified for rapid mastery!] [Martial Arts: Fierce Tiger Fist] [Fierce Tiger Fist: (Proficient, one hundred practices a day; can be mastered in five years)] [Promotion condition after simplification: 1. Stroke tiger hide one thousand times, 2. Five bowls of Qi and Blood Soup]
"Five bowls of Qi and Blood Soup?"
"Looks like I'll have to make a trip to the Martial Arts School."
Qin Shuang studied the panel, thinking it over.
As far as he knew,
both the medicine hall and the Martial Arts School sold Qi and Blood Soup. Since the Martial Arts School made it especially for its disciples to use in their training, its soup was cheaper than the medicine hall's.
He still had more than six hundred taels of silver and some gold leaves, but it was always better to save where he could.
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