A Walk in the City

Wei Dayong waved his hand, his voice laced with lingering exhaustion. "You should head back to the barracks. I need to go home and check on my daughter." He glanced at Wang Quan and added, "If you're interested in the city, I can take you around to get your bearings in a couple of days."

Wang Quan shook his head. "Another time. Master Wei, you should focus on recovering. I'll come bother you at home when I have the chance. I'll just wander around by myself for a bit."

Wei Dayong didn't say anything more, just nodded. Clutching his chest, he turned and limped away, slowly disappearing into the depths of the alley. His figure, stretched long in the morning light, exuded an unspeakable loneliness and desolation.

Watching him walk away, Wang Quan turned and headed towards the row of low, dilapidated barracks. The room that belonged to him and his previous teammates was now empty, containing only his own cot with its moldy straw mat, and the lingering scent of sweat and blood mixed in the air.

He closed the door, shutting out the faint daylight, and sat on the hard bed frame, carefully unfolding the Bronze Armor Technique onto his lap. The pages were yellowed and fragile, the ink somewhat blurred, accompanied by crude diagrams of human figures, marking the routes for breathing and power exertion. The text was simple and straightforward, nothing more than incantations about sinking qi to the dantian, channeling power to the limbs, and tightening the skin like a drum – truly the most common type of body-tempering method.

In his mind, the system's explanation of the Bronze Armor Technique reappeared: "[Can consume points to directly improve mastery level.]"

He only had 2 points. Wang Quan didn't hesitate. The life-and-death struggle of last night had made it crystal clear to him that survival was the top priority in this godforsaken place, and a sufficiently tough body that could take a few more hits was the foundation for survival. The Turtle Breath Vitality Art might be good for health, but right now, he needed something that could be instantly converted into survival ability.

"Add points to Bronze Armor Technique," he chanted silently in his heart.

"[Consume 1 point to upgrade Bronze Armor Technique to 'Beginner'?]"

"Yes."

The moment the thought landed, a faint but clear stream of warmth suddenly rose from his lower abdomen, then slowly and steadily flowed to his limbs and bones. It wasn't intense, but it carried a solid sense of permeation. Wang Quan felt his skin tighten slightly, his muscle fibers seemed to tremble gently, and a faint itch emanated from deep within his bones. At the same time, a wealth of basic knowledge about the key points of Bronze Armor Technique cultivation, breathing coordination, and power exertion techniques flooded his mind, as if he had studied and practiced this rudimentary skill for months.

"Continue, upgrade to 'Minor Accomplishment'," he said without hesitation.

"[Consume 1 point to upgrade Bronze Armor Technique to 'Minor Accomplishment'?]"

"Yes!"

This time, the stream of warmth became much more pronounced, like warm water instantly turning into scalding oil, surging and washing through his body! His skin felt noticeably taut and tingled slightly, as if countless tiny strips of leather were being woven and tightened beneath it. His muscles swelled more intensely, and the itch in his bones turned into a slight numbness and swelling. He could clearly feel his strength growing, not out of nowhere, but as if the potential dormant within his body was being forcefully awakened, solidified, and condensed by this surge of warmth.

In his mind, his understanding of the Bronze Armor Technique deepened further. How to more effectively mobilize qi and blood to nourish the skin, tendons, and bones; how to dissipate force when taking a blow through the instantaneous tightening and slight trembling of muscles; how to combine simple punches and kicks with breathing and intent to unleash power beyond his outward appearance... Various techniques and subtle controls were branded into his bodily memory.

[Remaining Points: 0]

[Bronze Armor Technique Current Realm: Minor Accomplishment]

Wang Quan let out a long breath, which was slightly longer than usual. He stood up and stretched his limbs. His body felt noticeably "sturdier," not thicker, but with an inner fullness and tightness. He tried throwing a palm strike into the air.

The palm wind was much clearer than before, carrying a faint whistling sound as it cut through the air. He then jumped lightly in place. When he landed, his stance felt more stable, and his body's coordination and control had noticeably improved. He clenched his fist, his knuckles making a faint "crackling" sound. A sense of power extended from his arm to his shoulder and back.

"It's still just the basics..." Wang Quan murmured, feeling the changes within him and shaking his head slightly. The improvement was tangible; his physique, strength, and resilience had all increased by a significant margin, enough to surpass an ordinary strong man and even approach that of some who had trained external martial arts for many years. But compared to the terrifying defense and immense strength of the Pig Demon from last night, this Minor Accomplishment level of Bronze Armor Technique would likely only allow him to withstand one or two more hits before dying, or perhaps reduce the impact of being thrown.

A true qualitative leap was still far from being achieved. However, this was a good start, giving him at least a small capital to survive in this perilous world. Furthermore, the existence of the system's deduction function gave him a vague hope for the future of these two mortal-grade cultivation methods.

Carefully putting away the Turtle Breath Vitality Art, Wang Quan pushed open the door and stepped out. The sky was already bright, but the clouds above Anping County were still heavy, and the sunlight was thin.

He had no specific destination, just slowly walking along the dirt road outside the barracks towards what looked like the main street. Firstly, he wanted to familiarize himself with the environment, which even the previous owner of this body might not have known well. Secondly, he wanted to see for himself what kind of city this was, one that sheltered thousands of people yet was barely surviving under the shadow of monsters.

The street was slightly wider than he had imagined, paved with uneven bluestone slabs, many of which were cracked and sunken, accumulating rainwater from the night before. The houses on either side were low, mostly made of mud walls or a mix of wood and stone, with roofs covered in thatch or old gray tiles, appearing dilapidated and lifeless. Some street-facing houses had their doors open, serving as shops, displaying needles and thread, coarse porcelain bowls and dishes, or wilted vegetables.

There were calls of vendors, but they were sparse and weak, carrying a weary resignation.

"Freshly ground bean flour... little adulteration..."

"Woven baskets... sturdy willow baskets..."

"Buying hides, rabbit hides, fox hides..."

There weren't many pedestrians, and most of them were elderly people, walking with faltering steps, their faces etched with deep wrinkles from wind and hardship. Occasionally, one could see a young or middle-aged person, but they were mostly in a hurry, their eyes warily scanning their surroundings, their faces bearing a weariness and numbness unbefitting their age. Children were even rarer, and if present, they mostly followed behind adults, timid and afraid to play or laugh, lacking the innocence and vitality they should have.

The entire city was like a heavily wounded, exhausted old ox, slowly panting under a heavy yoke, lacking vitality.

Wang Quan walked through two streets, deliberately paying attention to the shops along the way. Blacksmith shop? None in sight. Occasionally, he saw shops with crude iron signs hanging outside. Upon inquiry, they only repaired farm tools, kitchen knives, or at most, crude wood-chopping axes. There wasn't even a decent long sword or saber, let alone standard military weapons. It made sense; weapon forging must have been tightly controlled by the government and garrisons. Illegally forging swords and knives was a serious crime.

Medicine refining workshops? Not a trace. There were two or three small pharmacies, their storefronts dim, with the mixed smell of herbs wafting from within. Wang Quan pretended to buy trauma medicine and went inside to look. On the counter were nothing more than dried hemostatic grass, bruise paste, and other common items, and their quality was poor. As for pills that could aid cultivation and enhance qi and blood? The shop assistant looked at him as if he were speaking gibberish, shaking his head repeatedly.

As expected. The truly good items, whether cultivation methods, weapons, or pills that could aid cultivation and save lives, were firmly in the hands of officials, sects, and influential powers. For a criminal soldier like him, the only resources he could access were the lowest and crudest, and even then, he had to risk his life to obtain them, or use his meager pay to buy inferior products.

He wandered through a few more alleys. The area near the city wall was even more desolate, with many collapsed houses overgrown with weeds, clearly indicating a severe population outflow or past destruction. The wind blew in from the battlements of the city wall, carrying the dry cold unique to the northern regions and the earthy smell of the distant wilderness.

Standing on a half-collapsed earthen wall, Wang Quan gazed out at the hazy gray-yellow wilderness beyond the city. The thought in his heart became clearer and heavier:

To rely on a step-by-step approach, using the meager resources of the garrison and two common cultivation methods to make a name for himself in this northern frontier where humans and monsters mingled and the law of the jungle prevailed, was almost a fool's dream. Surviving last night was a fluke; such luck couldn't happen every time.

Wei Dayong had pointed out two paths: patrolling and getting lucky, or going to the West City ghost market. The latter required money or goods in exchange, and he, a newly arrived criminal soldier, was empty-handed. The former... required patience and luck, as well as sufficient strength, to seize the fleeting opportunities.

"Points... I need more points," Wang Quan muttered to himself, his hand unconsciously tightening on the hilt of the saber at his waist. Only by acquiring points could he rapidly improve his cultivation methods, or even deduce more powerful ones. And the current apparent way to obtain points was to kill demonic creatures, or... engage in combat with humans?

As dusk approached, Wang Quan turned and walked back in the direction of the garrison.